Disabled Americans rely on rideshare apps but say they still face discrimination

Disabled people who use rideshare apps Lyft and Uber say their experience is not a seamless task of pressing a few buttons and being whisked to their destination minutes later. Instead, people who use wheelchairs and guide dogs have watched drivers cancel rides, charge cleaning fees for guide dogs, or outright refuse to take them where they need to go. The rideshare companies plan to push app updates soon to address cancellations and misunderstandings, but advocates and disabled users say they want to see drivers be better educated about how to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and want the companies to put in stricter discrimination policies. The new app features are just “window dressing,” said Lynn Dubinsky, who works for a guide-dog training school in San Rafael, California. While rideshare apps aren’t the only option for disabled people across the U.S.—public transit agencies must also have ADA-compliant buses and trains and offer paratransit options like shuttles—the disabled community relies on rideshare more than others, according to the 2022 U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Robert Silva has had issues with rideshare drivers because of his folding wheelchair, which he has used since losing his right leg in a car accident. The 34-year-old from Alameda, California, said he once tried ordering a rideshare five times in an hour and a half to go to Disneyland before a driver accepted his request. “They just see me in a wheelchair first thing, and they’re expecting that there’s going to be a lot of baggage there,” said Silva, who usually can get into a vehicle without assistance. “I’m sure when they see me they think it’s going to be a lot more work than it actually is.” Uber and Lyft said their disability policies include following the ADA and not denying rides to people solely because they have a guide dog. The companies also said new drivers are made aware of the policies during onboarding, and that established drivers get occasional reminders of disability policies. If drivers wrongfully decline to accommodate riders because of a service animal, they face a potential ban. This article was provided by The Associated Press.